COLLEGE STATION — The last time coach Jimbo Fisher checked his occasionally haywire schedule this season, Texas A&M was competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, not collectively flexing for a Mr. Olympia contest.
It’s why the postgame characterization “convincing win” among fans and media members grinds on Fisher more than the Aggies (7-1) have ground on their SEC opponents this season, save for top-ranked Alabama.
“‘Convincing wins’ — that’s an opinion,” Fisher said of anyone who wonders if the Aggies are winning convincingly enough to earn a spot in the four-team CFP. “You’ve got to base things on facts.”
Here’s a fact — based on the CFP committee’s opinion: The Aggies stayed at No. 5 on Tuesday night for a third consecutive week after grinding (there’s that word again) their way to a 31-20 victory at Auburn last Saturday by rushing for a season-high 313 yards.
The top 10 in the CFP are Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State, A&M, Florida, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Georgia and Miami. Ohio State has played only five games to date because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“At the beginning of the year, the committee talked about the fact that 2020 was going to be a unique year,” said Gary Barta, CFP committee chairman and Iowa’s athletic director. “(And) more important than ever before is watching games and evaluating teams, knowing that we’re going to have to evaluate some teams that have different numbers of games played.”
The Aggies were scheduled to host Mississippi (4-4) and new coach Lane Kiffin this Saturday, but the game was called off because of multiple positive COVID-19 tests in the Mississippi program and the resulting contact tracing. A&M’s final game of the regular season is now at Tennessee (2-6) on Dec. 19, and the CFP committee is scheduled to name its final four on Dec. 20.
The Aggies, assuming they win at Tennessee, are primarily hoping for Notre Dame to defeat Clemson for a second time this season, this time in the ACC title game, to likely knock Clemson out of CFP contention. A&M also is banking on mighty Alabama manhandling Florida in the SEC title game.
Ohio State’s rivalry game with Michigan scheduled for Saturday also has been called off because of multiple COVID-19 cases within the Wolverines’ program, leaving OSU at 5-0 but still in the top four and ahead of A&M, which has played eight games.
Meantime, the Aggies are second in the SEC West behind Alabama, and A&M’s lone loss is 52-24 at Alabama in Week 2 on Oct. 3.
“SEC wins are very convincing, I promise you that,” Fisher said in continuing to take on the term “convincing.” “Any time you win in the SEC West, it’s very convincing. It’s the best league in ball and the best players in ball — they’re all very convincing.”
Fisher then turned his attention to talking heads and pecking fingers in the media.
“In our world in the media right now, it’s got to be ‘my opinion’ and not what’s based on facts,” Fisher said. “(As a team) you’ve got to do what you do and control what you control, and ‘convincing’ is in the eye of the beholder, in my opinion.”
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On cue, ESPN analyst David Pollack on Tuesday night argued against the Aggies because of their grinding style — even if A&M has won six consecutive games and the last five by double digits.
“When I watch A&M … I don’t think there’s enough ‘special’ for me to go, ‘Man, that one loss …’ It was a boat race. It wasn’t even close at Alabama. It was a beatdown,” Pollack said. “A&M would have needed to look really, really good to this point. … I think they’re a really good football team. I just don’t think when I look at them that they’re better than Ohio State.
“It’s not like their résumé dictates them jumping over Ohio State whether (the Buckeyes) are 5-0 or 6-0 and it’s a couple of games difference. I don’t think it matters that much because I haven’t seen enough dominance from A&M to say I need to move them above Ohio State.”
Fisher, who won a national title at Florida State in 2013, contends pounding opponents into the grass shouldn’t be a part of the equation when determining rankings.
“Where is running somebody out of the stadium and embarrassing somebody, where is that ever … good?” Fisher said. “What dignity is in that? I’m not saying you don’t (ever) do that. … I’m just using that as an example. Does that mean ‘convincing,’ that I go score as many points as I can and control the game?
“There are a lot of things that go into this. How about just play your best football, do it the right way, do it with class, do it with dignity … those are convincing wins against good opponents.”
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